David “Kip” Shawger Jr. received a BS degree in drama from Nebraska Wesleyan University and an MA degree in design from Bradley University. An award-winning scenic designer with more than 250 design credits and 30 years of experience in education, community, professional theatre and television, Shawger is the Associate Chair and Head of Design in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Ball State University. His areas of specialization are design, technology, and computer applications in theatre and dance.

Professionally, his credits include scenery for American Entertainment Productions, Carnival Cruise Lines, and the PBS children’s television series The Adventures of Elmo and Friends. He has also been published in Theatre Crafts Magazine and other leading theatrical journals, as well as the educational videos Where Do I Start? and How Do I Paint It? He is a past recipient of the University's Outstanding Creative Endeavor Award and in 2001 he was presented the John F. Kennedy Center's Gold Medallion for excellence in theatre. Currently, Shawger is a member of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival's National Executive Committee as the National Chair of Design.

Dedicated to the education and training of young theatre artists, his design students attend graduate programs and work in the professional theatre and film from New York to Los Angeles.